DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution

"Best home version of DDR yet! Great soundtrack! Awesome game!"

Dance Dance Revolution DDR MAX USA for the Playstation 2 is easily the best home version of DDR to hit the shelves. It comes with many more advantages in it than any other mix. But however, many gamers will be disappointed from the lack of Japanese songs. I'm sorry for them, but it doesn't bother me.

DDR is a very innovative game that many people have been enjoying for 4 years. You need a dance pad for the full effect, that you can get anywhere. As the arrows rise up the screen (or down if you set the settings differently) you must hit the corresponding arrow with your feet. If you keep your combo going hitting the steps right as they reach the top, your score is greatly improved. And that is the basic points of DDR.

DDR MAX has many more advantages to it than the Japanese version of 6th mix. The one major point that stands out is the oni courses. DDR MAX is the first ever home version to have oni courses. Your pad must be tip-top to pass these 6 oni's waiting for you. Depending on which course you take will affect the songs you play. You have 4 points. If you get a ''boo'', ''good'', or ''almost'', you lose 1 point. You gain a point by passing a song if the song is hard enough. If you lose all 4 points you fail.

Another major point that DDR MAX is greater than previous mixes is that it has a total of 17 licensed songs! Soundtracks such as ''Sandstorm'', and ''I like to move it'', will appease your ears. Licensed songs from artists include, reel 2 real, Darude, Js16, Steve Rhyner, Aurora, and more! Many people should be happy for most of these songs!

The entire soundtrack for DDR MAX is 71 songs! That's much more than any home version of DDR! Many of the songs you know and love are back, and better than ever before, remixed! But something you will notice is that songs are much harder to unlock this time around. The last US home version was Konamix. Comparing MAX to Konamix's unlocking system is funny. You will have to beat oni courses, fail courses (easy eh?), and do all kinds of things to unlock the great songs in this game.

The difficulty is still here though. The song widely known by many is here for a home version! MAX 300, has a difficulty all of it's own. Coming in at a whopping 300 BPM's, it has a heavy difficulty of 10! This is one of the hardest songs you will meet in DDR.

Another thing you will notice that is nice on the eyes is the backgrounds. They are all CG animated, making them very nice and smooth. Sometimes I catch myself staring at the beautifully animated backgrounds rather than dancing! It was an evil trap made by Konami to make us fail!

Most of the modes from earlier mixes are back for another run except for 6 panel. These include edit mode, doubles, verses, single, lesson, the new oni mode, work out, the very helpful training mode, records, and a new information center. In information you can check what you have unlocked. A ''new'' graphic is placed by something that you haven't looked at yet.

Vets of DDR, or beginners looking for something new, innovative, and fun will all love this mix. It has the difficulty, and it has the easier songs and levels for beginners. Which brings me to my next point. MAX has 3 different difficulty modes including ''light'', ''standard'', and ''heavy''. So you won't get bored with the game for a long time working your way through al 71 songs on 3 levels!

This title is a must have for everyone! If you're 50 and looking for exercise, or you're 7, and are looking for something to play with. This product is great for families to do. I even find my mom playing this sometimes, and my sister likes it. So it's a great family gift. Make sure you buy two pads so 2 people can play at once! Good luck, and happy DDRing!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/03/02, Updated 11/17/02